A partnership between the United States and “like-minded nations” will keep Asian countries secure in the face of competition from a rising China, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said on Friday. On a visit to Bangkok, Admiral John Aquilino, 56, criticized China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, a vital trade waterway with rich energy resources where Beijing has disputes with five nations. “We are in competition with the People’s Republic of China,” Aquilino told reporters.
